Review: New cafe Ahimsa Sanctuary serves up some seriously good vegan grub

When it comes to vegan food spots, I often find myself guilty of adjusting my expectations as a non-vegan, perhaps even unfairly. In fact, there’s even been a fair amount of times I’ve dismissed vegan places in Singapore in favour of more meat-friendly options. 

I would often think to myself: “It’s good… for vegan food”. This preconceived notion that vegan food was “alright” stayed status quo, until I finally found a vegan spot that changed all that. 

Enter Ahimsa Sanctuary.

While changing the minds of hardcore non-vegans may not be on its agenda, it appears to be doing so since its opening in 2021.

Its approach is simple: Good food, period. The only nod to its plant-based offerings is a modest “plant-based goodness” sign at the entrance.

The cafe seeks to offer a space for everyone to dine at, irrespective of dietary preferences.

While the sentiment is earnest, does its newly-opened outlet at Neil Road deliver? Read on to find out.

The backstory

For those who might be new to the Ahimsa name, Ahimsa Sanctuary has built a solid reputation within Singapore’s vegan community over the years. Formerly known as Ahimsa Cafe, it started as a small, 10-seater space in Kent Ridge in 2021. 

It has since upgraded to a more spacious shophouse space on Neil Road, offering both indoor and outdoor dining since July this year. 

The new space is inviting, with its lush red interior (inspired by Indian red clay) and simple plant embellishments.

Its mantra “refuel, recharge, recentre” is central to its wellness concept of pairing nutrition with movement — the upper level of the shophouse is a yoga studio, while the ground floor houses the cafe, offering brunch items like smoothies and grain bowls.

When we visited on a Saturday afternoon, the cafe was packed with a slight wait. But despite all of the bustle, made up primarily of post-yoga folks and pet owners, the space was peaceful, with soft chatters all around. It’s just the spot for a quiet weekend afternoon.

Our verdict

What it’s good for

We started things off with one of Ahimsa Sanctuary’s mainstays — its bagels. There is a selection of seven bagel flavours, with options such as egg bacon and cheese (S$13.90) and Pesto Control (S$13.90). 

Since it was our first time there, we figured we’d stick to the tried-and-tested and went for the classic BLT (S$13.90), which stands for bacon, lettuce and tomato, typically. But in Ahimsa’s case, this BLT was very much out of the ordinary.

The bacon is replaced by strips of crumbly, chewy tempeh (fermented soybeans). While it doesn’t try to mimic meat directly, it brings its own flavour with its marinade — smoky, sweet, and spicy — that works well in the sandwich. 

The attention to detail was what really sold it for me: Given its simplicity, fresh ingredients and perfect execution are paramount, and this bagel delivered just that. 

The garlic aioli made from cashews added a nice touch of richness, while the sweet and tangy pickled onions complemented the fresh, juicy tomatoes and voluminous shredded lettuce.

The jalapeno bagel, warm and soft, tied it all together with just the right amount of spice. It’s a satisfying, well-executed sandwich that ranks as one of the better sandwiches I’ve had. I found myself amused at how unbelievably good it was.

Next, we tried a weekend-exclusive menu item, the M*spicy (S$21.90), a take on the beloved Singapore fast-food favourite from the Golden Arches.

There are expectations that come with a burger named after the McSpicy, and this dish exceeded any form of expectations I might have had — it’s well seasoned, delectably juicy, and a very good-looking burger overall.  

The deep-fried patty, made from locally sourced lion’s mane mushroom, came surprisingly close to chicken in both texture and colour. Tied together with spicy mayo made from cashews, this dish was a standout.

As you dig into the burger, you can truly taste the effort (and extent of trial and error, we’d imagine) that went into perfecting it.

For drinks, we went with a simple flat white (S$6.80), which uses beans from local roastery Brawn & Brains. It was everything we wanted it to be — robustly nutty with creamy oat milk and definitely worth returning for.

What it could improve on

One of the draws of Ahimsa Sanctuary is its line of wellness drinks, notably the ashwagandha latte ($6.50), which features the medicinal herb, said to regulate blood pressure, reduce inflammation and induce relaxation.

The drink was creamy, as you would expect of a latte, but underwhelming in taste — the oat milk was all we tasted, really. It was one of those things that was definitely more interesting conceptually, and we could only wish it translated better onto the palate.

The food was impressive across the board, but if there’s one thing that I wished could be just a tad better, it’ll be the vegan Jacked’ (birria style) ($19.90) tacos, touted as the first of its kind in Singapore. It may have been highly raved in reviews, but fell short for me.

For the unacquainted, a typical Birria-style taco consists of lamb meat (slow-cooked in a stew) and cheese between a tortilla, pan-fried in the fat of the rich stew.

Here, Ahimsa uses jackfruit as a meat substitute, as its naturally long fibres resemble that of the striations of muscle tissue in meat. While ingenious in principle, the tacos unfortunately missed the mark on texture. I had expected a better chew from the shredded Birria “meat”, but it was just a bit too soft.

Nevertheless, the flavour profile was decent — smokey and savoury from the Birria sauce, nutty from cashew-based “cheese”, and topped with fresh cilantro and onions. 

All things considered, this was a very minor flaw in an otherwise thoughtful menu. The friendly and welcoming atmosphere at Ahimsa Sanctuary was also a huge bonus for us. 

Whether it could convert staunch carnivores is another question, however.

As for me, the perennial meat lover, I just had damn good food here, period.

Our quick takes

Is it conducive to conversation? Yes, diners are nicely spaced out and the relaxed ambience of the cafe allows you to chat away without guilt. However, the tables outside can get warm, especially in Singapore’s climate — sit inside if that’s an option. 

Is a reservation necessary? Only walk-ins are available currently, and we recommend you head down on weekdays for faster service.

How to get there? Ahimsa Sanctuary is just a short 200-metre walk away from Maxwell MRT station (Hurray for the TEL!) and is identifiable by the cute blackboard at the cafe’s entrance.

HungryGoWhere paid for its meal at this cafe for this review. 

Looking for more dining options in the Maxwell Area? Check out our review of Cenzo, Chicco’s sibling restaurant along Club Street. To discover more vegan options, read on about Lilac Oak, a vegan cafe near Dhoby Ghaut with pastries, sandos and more.

Do explore the new GrabFood Dine Out service for awesome deals.

You can also book a ride to Ahimsa Sanctuary.